1. Field Of The Invention
The invention relates to a device and method for mixing a water-dilutable, water-free paint concentrate with water at the time of spraying onto a paintable surface.
2. Prior Art
A water-dilutable paint such as latex and water-dilutable acrylic paint comprises primarily coloring pigments in a resin (xe2x80x9cPaintxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cstainxe2x80x9d are used interchangeably and meant to include all manner of paints, stains and all other liquid compounds applied to color, protect, or cover a surface with a film or absorbent). Several other components can be added such as wetting agents and antifoams, and extenders. These components are mixed in water to a viscosity suitable for application by spraying or by brush or roller. Paint components mixed in water decompose in time and also tend to settle to the bottom. To counter this decomposition and settling, a paint stabilizer is also added. The stabilizer and other additives dilute the paint.
Water-dilutable paint typically comprises a high proportion of water and a low proportion of paint concentrate. The mixed paint is packaged, transported, stored, and applied with this high proportion of water, increasing cost and inconvenience of dealing with weight and volume increased by the water over the paint ingredients. It would be advantageous to maintain the paint ingredients unmixed from the water until the paint is applied. Water is generally available for mixing with these paint ingredients at the place of application of the paint. This would eliminate the need for stabilizers and greatly reduce the volume and weight of the paint to its essential elements.
It is the primary object of the present invention, therefore, to have a paint concentrate without water that is first mixed with water at the time of spray delivery of the paint to a paintable surface.
This object is achieved in a water-tight unpressurized reservoir of constant volume containing the water-dilutable paint concentrate without water and a head typically secured to the reservoir, although conceivably the head can be detached with a tube between them. The head comprises a mixing chamber, a spray nozzle that directs and atomizes the paint composition, and a conduit attachment to which a water conduit is attached, typically a household garden hose. In operation, water typically under waterline pressure is delivered through the garden hose to the mixing chamber and out the spray nozzle. Concentrate from the reservoir is siphoned or otherwise extracted from the reservoir into the mixing chamber, such as by gravity feed, where it mixes with water passing through in an aqueous solution approximately one part paint/stain solids to three to twenty parts water. A valve regulates flow from the reservoir.
Typically, the valve also regulates flow of water in a three-way valve, including a fully closed position where no water or concentrate flows, an opened position where water and concentrate flow for mixing and delivery through the nozzle suitable for spray application, and a water flow position, where the concentrate is closed but water continues to flow for flushing the mixing chamber and nozzle for cleaning purposes. With water flowing unmixed through the spray nozzle, the directed flow is advantageous for clean up, for example, of overspray until the paint is dry. A surface inadvertently painted can usually be washed clean of sprayed paint with clear water from the nozzle during the first ten minutes after application. This facilitates not only the clean up but also the painting process. It becomes more efficacious to not even cover or otherwise prepare adjoining surfaces and ignore overspray during the painting process. Then using the clear water pass through mode of operation, water is directed onto the overspray area which washes it clean. Clear water that might mist or slightly splatter onto the painted area is unaffected by the water. If one chooses, a board may be briefly held between the painted area and the overspray area in the near vicinity of clear water clean up.
For purposes within, xe2x80x9cwaterlessxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cwater freexe2x80x9d or the like is meant to mean water restricted and without water added but recognizing that paint ingredients may naturally have water within a compound. xe2x80x9cResinxe2x80x9d is meant to include all water-dilutable resins forming a film when applied to a paintable surface. Water soluble resins typically contain carboxyl groups that make them water-dilutable. They can be any of many commercially available resins. Once specific example is known commercially as NeoCryl XK-90. xe2x80x9cPigmentxe2x80x9d is meant to include any and all inorganic and organic compounds and metallic powders employed to provide cover, color effect and cover. Two well-known commercially-available pigments are SGS yellow iron oxide 115 (yellow iron oxide) and SGS red iron oxide 417 (red iron oxide). The resin and pigments as the primary concentrate ingredients are combined in a paint or stain composition, meant to include all forms of combination of paint ingredients, such as mixtures, solutions, emulsions, dispersions and suspensions. Water dilutable is also meant to include water soluble and any of these combinations of ingredients with water. Other additives, meant to include all other ingredients such as stabilizers, antifoamants, anticratering additives, wetting agents for dispersion of the pigment, binders and the like, are added to render the concentrate applicable to a paintable surface.
Table 1 following represents a typical 1-gallon formula of paint concentrate.
These formula ingredients are understood as follows:
a. Propylene Glycol (dihydric alcohol) is used as an esterifying agent (a process involving the interaction of a compound possessing a hydroxyl group with an acid, with the elimination of water. This ingredient is used to help the stain form a film and it also acts as an anti-freeze. It is also used as a wet-edge additive.
b. Nuosept 95 (formaldehyde bicyclic oxazolidines) is a preservative used to prevent the stain from growing bacteria and fungus while it is in storage in its container.
c. Nuocide 960 (chlorothalinil) is a fungicide and algaecide used to prevent mold and mildew from growing on the surface of the stain or paint after it is applied to a paintable surface such as a house or a fence. Although acrylic stains are not prone to attract mold and mildew growth in dry climates, this ingredient helps prevent the normal occurrence of mold and mildew that might occur in damp climates, such as the Pacific Northwest.
d. Amp 95 (2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol) is used as a pigment dispersant or stabilizer that increases the stability of a suspension of pigments in the stain and also as a pH modifier. Without a dispersant the pigments tend to settle to the bottom of a composition and water based coatings need to have a certain pH for the paint/stain to form a film on the paintable surface.
e. Surfynol CT-111 (alkoxylated acetylenic diol) is used as a surfactant. Most pigments in the dry state contain bound agglomerates of primary particles. A primary particle is one of optimum size of pigment structure that achieves the best color development. In order to disperse these primary particles in water, they are subjected to deagglomeration to break up the agglomerates, wetting to disperse the pigment from the resin surface, and stabilization to maintain the pigment throughout the resin. This additive reduces surface tension and improves wetting, thereby helping to disperse pigments and inhibit foaming or emulsifying.
f. Tinuvin 1130 (hydroxyphenyl benzotriazole) is a liquid ultra-violet radiation absorber used as a light stabilizer to protect the substrate from the harmful effects of the sun.
g. Lactimon WS (a solution of a partially neutralized alkyl-ammonium salt of a polycarboxylic acid polymer and a polydimethylsiloxane) used as a wetting and dispersing deflocculating additive to improve pigment wetting and to stabilize the pigment dispersion preventing flooding and floating and improving gloss. It contains a polysiloxane copolymer which helps to prevent pigment separation and in particular helps to counteract formation of Benard cells and pigment striations.
h. Attagel 50 (attapulgite crude) is a colloidal, inorganic mineral thickener that is essentially inert and non-swelling in aqueous applications. When dispersed in water, it displays unique thixotropic (gelling) properties that promotes anti-settling and drip and sag control.
i. BYK 022 (composition of hydrophobic solids, emulsifiers and foam destroying polysiloxanes in polyglycol) is a silicone defoamer for aqueous coatings.
j. BYK 024 (emulsion of hydrophobic solids, emulsifying agents and foam destroying polysiloxanes) is a silicone defoamer for aqueous coatings. T
k. Minex 4 (nepheline syenite) is used as an extender and a filler. It is an achromatic pigment of low refractive index in a range of 1.5 to 1.6. Consequently, it does not contribute significantly to the hiding power of the paint/stain. It is used to reduce cost, achieve durability, and alter appearance (e.g., decrease in gloss).
l. SGS Yellow Iron Oxide 115 (SGS YO; yellow iron oxide) is a yellow pigment dispersion. These are finely ground synthetic insoluble dispersed particles which, when dispersed in a liquid vehicle to make paint, also enhances paint-opacity, hardness, durability, and corrosion resistance. As great ultraviolet absorbent colorants, oxide pigments are also are one of the best ingredients to protect a surface from damaging effects of the sun.
m. SGS Red Iron Oxide 417 (red iron oxide) is a red pigment dispersion. As with SGS YO, these are also finely ground synthetic insoluble dispersed particles which, when dispersed in a liquid vehicle to make paint, also enhances paint-opacity, hardness, durability, and corrosion resistance and are one of the best ingredients to protect a surface from damaging effects of the sun.
n. Neocryl XK-90 (acrylic copolymer emulsion) as a resin holds the pigments to the paintable surface. It is a 100% acrylic emulsion polymer designed for exterior paints and stains. It provides excellent color development and early block resistance and outstanding wet adhesion to aged and chalked alkyds. Its unique small particle morphology gives hard durable stains with cosolvent demands as low as 3.5% on resin solids. Blocking is the undesirable sticking together of two painted surfaces when pressed together under normal conditions or under specified conditions of temperature, pressure and relative humidity. Without block resistance, for example, the stained gate on a fence may stick shut even after the stain has already dried
o. Neocryl A-639 (acrylic polymer) also is an acrylic copolymer resin that holds the pigments to the paintable surface that is used to formulate pigmented industrial coatings for wood substrates. It exhibits excellent chemical resistance, hardness, and good block resistance.
p. NeoRez R-9649 (water-borne urethane) is a coating vehicle that contains a polyisocyanate monomer reacted to yield polymers containing a combination of urethane linkages, active isocyanate groups or polyisocyante monomers. It exhibits very low coeffecient of friction and excellent rub resistance. It also exhibits excellent water and stain resistance.
q. Texanol (ester alcohol: 2,2,4-Trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol Monoisobutyrate) is a slow evaporating, water-insoluble coalescing aid for water-borne paints. It provides good scrub resistance, color development, and package stability. It is an excellent coalescing aid for emulsion polymers and has excellent hydrolytic stability, allowing it to be used with a wide variety of latex emulsions including high pH acrylics. When added to emulsion paint, it is absorbed by the emulsions polymeric particles, softening them and causing complete fusion when the paint film dries. Since Texanol is insoluble in water and therefore is not in a water phase, applying the paint over a porous substrate does not result in reduced coalescing efficiency because it is not absorbed by the substrate along with the water.
r. Solvent EB (ethylene glycol monobutyl ether) is necessary for the paint/stain to form a film. It is a colorless liquid soluble in alcohol and water having a high dilution ratio with petroleum hydrocarbons. It oxides slowly when exposed to air, particularly at elevated temperatures. p0 s. Bentolite WH (bentolite) swells in water and is used as a thickening agent. It is a very fine-grained clay derived from volcanic ash and consisting largely of montmorillonite mineral.